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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Avocado on January 22, 2007, at 12:58:20
Anyone tried Lithium + Lamictal for depressive mixed state or depression?
Was it good?
Any side effects?
Posted by Phillipa on January 22, 2007, at 21:25:51
In reply to Lithium + Lamictal?, posted by Avocado on January 22, 2007, at 12:58:20
Hi I have no personal experience with lithium did try lamictal once. Are you bipolar and welcome to babble. Hopefully the experts will respond to your post. Love Phillipa
Posted by SLS on January 26, 2007, at 6:25:09
In reply to Lithium + Lamictal?, posted by Avocado on January 22, 2007, at 12:58:20
> Anyone tried Lithium + Lamictal for depressive mixed state or depression?
>
> Was it good?
> Any side effects?The combination is supposed to work better than monotherapy with either drug alone as measured by the period of time before relapse. However, you might need an antidepressant like Wellbutrin.
Are you currently having racing thoughts? Do you feel agitated or irritable? Are you bipolar I or bipolar II?
- Scott
Posted by Lonely on February 1, 2007, at 0:01:18
In reply to Re: Lithium + Lamictal?, posted by SLS on January 26, 2007, at 6:25:09
I'm quite curious about any responses to this topic. My husband has Bipolar 2 - has been on Lamictal alone (400 mgs day) for about a year and a half (?). Before that he was on Lamictal and Wellbutrin. I took him off the Wellbutrin myself - and told the P doc I felt it was making him too agitated and mean. No argument from the P doc so he's been on Lamictal alone. Looking back I realize that the anti-depressants really, REALLY made things worse for many years to the point of attempted suicide and attempts on my life.
Lamictal has definitely calmed him some but it's not under control - still too easily angered, irritable, moody, angitated. He needs more treatment.
However, I've heard there can be serious physical side effects to Lithium. Since he has MS and Hep C I'm extremely concerned about what Lithium could do.
> > Anyone tried Lithium + Lamictal for depressive mixed state or depression?
> >
> > Was it good?
> > Any side effects?
>
> The combination is supposed to work better than monotherapy with either drug alone as measured by the period of time before relapse. However, you might need an antidepressant like Wellbutrin.
>
> Are you currently having racing thoughts? Do you feel agitated or irritable? Are you bipolar I or bipolar II?
>
>
> - Scott
Posted by SLS on February 1, 2007, at 7:00:50
In reply to Re: Lithium + Lamictal? » SLS, posted by Lonely on February 1, 2007, at 0:01:18
I don't believe lithium would be a problem.
It does sound like he is bipolar II. How much sleep does he get? Does he talk loud and rapidly?
Lithium is not the usual first choice for this subtype. Depakote is found be effective more often. However, the hepatitis compromises his liver function, which might be a contraindication to the use of Depakote as Depakote can be hard on the liver. I'm not absolutely sure, but this would be the main obstacle in the use of this drug. Tegretol or Trileptal, like Depakote, are anticonvulsant mood-stabilizers. They are known in particular to reduce impulsive and aggressive behaviours.
If the mood-stabilizer route does not produce a significant therapeutic effect, then you might then move on to the neuroleptics. These drugs are used for disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, particularly in the manic phase or mixed-states. He may be suffering from a mixed-state hypomania. These drugs are often called antipsychotics. The newer drugs have reduced risks of producing involuntary muscle movements and a remote risk of producing tardive-dyskinesia, a different kind of abnormal movement effect that develops after long-term treatment and is often irreversible. I take Abilify. It is a neuroleptic with a reduced risk of producing these these EPS side-effects. I have also used Zyprexa, which would probably work the quickest to treat a hypomania or mixed-state. It would be a great drug if it didn't produce so much weight gain and had the risk of producing diabetes. I doesn't seem that the EPS interacts with the MS.
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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